2 Arrested In Robbery Of San Francisco Pokemon Go Player

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – San Francisco police on Thursday said they have arrested two men in connection with a series of robberies and an attempted carjacking in the Potrero Hill and Portola neighborhoods earlier this week, including one targeting a teen playing Pokemon Go.

The first robbery occurred around 8 p.m. on Sunday July 10 on Silver Avenue, when a 16-year-old male was holding his own and his sister’s cell phone to play the Pokemon Go game, police said.

A suspect grabbed the phones and ran to a waiting get-away car, described as a second coupe, driven by a second suspect. The victim was shaken up but not injured, police said.

On Monday July 11, around 1:10 a.m., a 19-year-old man meeting a friend at 23rd and Dakota streets was approached by two suspects who demanded money. When they found that he had no money in his pockets they punched him multiple times in his head and stole rollerblades and other personal affects.

The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Just after 2 a.m., officers responding to a robbery report at 23rd and Dakota streets heard shots fired nearby and saw a silver Pontiac pass their location.

Thinking the vehicle had been the source of the shots, officers stopped it at 20th and Tennessee streets but were unable to tie the vehicle’s occupants to the shooting.

Police said they now believe the vehicle’s occupants were actually the likely targets of the shots.

Around 4 a.m. a 58-year-old male sitting in his car at Vermont and Mariposa streets was robbed by two suspects at gunpoint. The suspects took his cash, but when they demanded his car the victim drove away safely, police said.

Later that morning, police identified Manu Pomele, a 19-year-old San Francisco resident, and Jonathan Limu, a 20-year-old San Francisco resident, as suspects in the robberies. Both were arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, firearm charges, one count of attempted carjacking and conspiracy.

Police are asking anyone with information on these crimes to call SFPD Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.